] Although she wasn’t a flashy player, KB Stars hasn’t forgotten the 10 years they spent together. The team held a retirement ceremony for Park Ji-Eun, who has started a new life as a manager.
Cheongju KB Stars won the Woori Bank Woori WON Women’s Professional Basketball League regular season home game against Bucheon Hana OneQ 74-64 at Cheongju Gymnasium on Sunday. KB Stars improved to 3-1 and moved into a tie for second place with Yongin Samsung Life.레모나토토
At halftime, a retirement ceremony was held for manager Park Ji-eun, who retired from active duty at the end of last season. Park, who was selected as the fourth overall pick in the 2014 rookie class, played an average of 5 minutes and 29 seconds in 76 games for the first team. She became a free agent after the end of last season and chose to retire.
The retirement ceremony was attended by Park’s father and mother, as well as her younger sister Park Sung, who plays for Dankook University. KB Stars presented a framed jersey signed by the players, and Kim Wan-soo presented a bouquet of flowers. Choi Hee-jin, who has been working as a color commentator for the club since retiring, also came down to the court for a commemorative photo.
KB Stars offered Park an extension during offseason free agency negotiations, but she wanted to play for an unemployed team. Instead of re-signing with KB Stars, she chose to sign with Daegu City Hall, and only after leading Daegu City Hall to victory in the national championship that ended last month did she truly retire. He officially joined KB Stars as a manager in late October.
Park said, “I thought about the team (KB Stars) a lot after I left, but I left because I wanted to play more. The team respected my choice, and they reached out to me when I was wandering after leaving. I’m grateful for the opportunity.”
Although she didn’t have a glamorous career, KB Stars hasn’t forgotten the 10 years they spent with Park Ji-Eun. “They say that in 10 years, even Kang San changes. We wanted to take care of her delicately.” This was explained by a KB Stars official who organized Park Ji-Eun’s retirement ceremony.
There was also a reason why the retirement ceremony was held on the 17th. Park Ji-eun’s number 17 was the number she wore throughout her career. KB Stars also held a retirement ceremony for Jung Mi-ran Power Analysis on October 30, 2019, to coincide with the day she was selected in the new player selection (October 30, 2003). “She has always worn number 17, so we thought the retirement ceremony on the 17th would be meaningful to her,” said a KB Stars official.
Although she was announced as a retired player, it was also eye-catching that she was offered a managerial job immediately after completing her unemployment. A KB Stars official said, “She knows the most about our team and gets along well with the players, so we thought it would be a good idea to entrust her with the job.”
Manager Park Ji-eun said, “I played for 10 years, so I still feel fresh when I come to Cheongju. However, I never thought of a retirement ceremony. I’m grateful to the club for giving me the opportunity. I’m still learning the ropes of being a manager. It’s busy, but I don’t think it’s bad (laughs). I want to help the players and the coaching staff so that everyone can focus on the game without any inconvenience.”